Understanding Environmental Literacy in America

This report offers an assessment of the past decade of progress in educating Americans about the environment. It shows that that “overall awareness of simple environmental topics is reasonably high nationwide,” but that “comprehension of more complex environmental subjects is very limited.” It describes myths and misunderstands about environmental issues, examines some of their causes and effects, and proposes an “E-literacy Domestic Product,” a measure of the value of eco-literacy on the economy. The report may be of use to marketing and communications professionals seeking to understand, and reach, American consumers.